Who’s right- me or my mum?

[CultureAlienationBoredomandDespair]

DS has chickenpox and I was texting my mum about it and complained that he wouldn’t let me put calamine lotion on and that it was much thinner than it used to be and doesn’t come with the dabber anymore.

DM says that I’m misremembering and it never had a dabber (technical term there 😂). What am I thinking of then? It was pink and thick in a brown bottle. The lid had a wire attached to it that went down the bottle and had a sort of puff on it. It has the same smell I remember.

Calamine has always been thin, so not sure what you are thinking of.

Calamine cream is easier for applying.

The pink isn’t as bright as I remember, it’s more slightly tinted now but im
prepared to accept that that’s down to
my memory having exaggerated it.

I remember it being thin and it was quite pale but it dried pink and solid. I don't remember a dabber though - my Mum used to slap it on with cotton wool.

Whatever I’m thinking of was definitely thicker than now. Like a milkshake.

Peptobismal?

I know the applicator you mean! It was a specific brand that had it. My Granny had one and used to pour a new bottle into the old one.

I remember the square plastic-y applicator!

I’m glad I’m not totally crazy!

Slightly off topic, but my DS hated calamine lotion when he had chicken pox, but virasoothe was brilliant - just rubbed it over like suncream and it took all the itch out of the spots. Comes in a tube from chemist/supermarket. Hope your little one's better soon.

Thank you, I’ll definitely keep that in mind. Luckily he’s not been too bad so far so keeping him covered and giving him piriton seems ok. Going to give him an oat bath later too.

I had chicken pox 49 years ago when I was 11, would have been 1974. I remember putting calamine lotion on the spots, but definitely don't remember a 'dabber'!

Can't speak about a dabber I'm afraid, but I used eurax for my DC's when they had chicken pox over 30 years ago and Dil used Poxclin for dgs when he had chicken pox recently. Both far more effective than the calamine lotion my mum used on me when I was a child.

Virasoothe is another product. We used the spray for bodies and gel for faces. Much better than calamine.

Your Mum's right.

I had chicken pox everywhere when I was a child, had several weeks off school with it, and I remember the calamine lotion not doing anything to help the itch.

I had cp as an adult about 30 years ago and had something which was like calamine, smelled like calamine, but was thicker…I don’t remember if it had an applicator,I think it was called Caladryl or similar

Are you misremembering it with Milk of Magnesia? Obviously we used to drink that but I think it was pink and more milkshakey in texture (not in taste though 🤮). Not a clue about a dabber other than shoe cleaner 😆

I remember this but not the dabber. I think it was Caladryl. Slightly different to Calamine.

@FiftynFooked wasn't milk of magnesium white?I grew up in the countryside and was regularly falling into nettle patches and covered head to toe in calamine lotion.Watery and pale in the bottle.Dried hard on skin.Did bugger all to stop the itching!No dabber here but my mum would have bought the cheapest bottle possible.

Bicarbonate of soda in a cool Bath helps to stop any itchiness.

I’ve googled and yes it was Caladryl lotion, but it doesn’t seem to be very available in the UK these days

My mum dabbed it on with a cotton wool ball and I did the same. Never remember a dabber

I had Chickenpox in the 70s and my Mam just used to dab Calamine on with cotton wool. It was runny and a very pale pink then, too.

I had chickenpox in the 70s as a child and remember mum getting frustrated by constantly dabbing me with calamine lotion.

She did me a potassium permanganate bath in the end. Lovely deep purple coloured water 😁

No dabber in my memory